Celtic Christmas in Japan
It’s the time of year when cities are adorned with beautiful illuminations. This year, Celtic Christmas 2025 come to japan and was performing across Japan, showcasing traditional Irish music and dance.
To celebrate Celtic Dance 2025’s visit, a Celtic dance performance was held at the Irish Embassy in Japan (Ireland House).
Led by accordion superstar Sharon Shannon, already well-known in Japan, the performance featured a lineup of talented musicians and singers, including Jim Murray, Killian Shannon, and Liam Ó Maonlaí, as well as Irish dancers, creating a stage performance that felt like being in Ireland.
And Liam Ó Maonlaí and a Japanese Tsuzumi drummer performed a collaborative piece based on “Aoyagi,” one of Koizumi Lafcadio Hearn’s ghost stories. The ephemeral story of Aoyagi seemed to come to life before the audience’s eyes, bridging the cultures of the two countries.
After this special Christmas, the participants received a gift of books from the Irish Embassy. There were three books, all of which were works by Irish literary greats: “Kwaidan” by Koizumi Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn), “Irish Harp Melodies, Celtic Mythology” by Marie Heaney, and “Dracula” by Bram Stoker.
Printed using green ink, which is said to symbolize Celtic traditions and Catholicism, they are easy on the eyes. “Kwaidan” features illustrations from excellent works that were recently featured in an exhibition at Ireland House. This once again reminded me that Ireland is a country that has produced many great writers.
